1. Technical Field
Exemplary aspects of the present invention generally relate to an image forming apparatus employing a liquid ejection recording method.
2. Related Art
Like a printer, copier, plotter, facsimile machine, or multifunction device having two or more of these capabilities, an inkjet recording device employing a liquid ejection recording method is also a type of image forming apparatus. Typically, the inkjet recording device includes a recording head constructed of a liquid ejection head that ejects droplets of a recording liquid such as ink onto a sheet of a recording medium to form an image on the sheet.
The quality of images formed by the inkjet-type image forming apparatus varies considerably depending on accuracy in landing positions of droplets ejected from nozzles formed in a nozzle face of the recording head. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately position the recording head within the image forming apparatus to improve the accuracy in the landing positions of the droplets, thereby providing higher-quality images.
There is known an image forming apparatus in which multiple recording heads are mounted on a carriage. A mounting position of each of the recording heads on the carriage is adjusted to align the landing positions of the droplets in a sub-scanning direction (or a direction of conveyance of the sheet).
JP-2005-224685-A discloses an image forming apparatus including a main carriage and a sub-carriage. The sub-carriage mounts multiple recording heads thereon and is positioned relative to the main carriage. Relative positions of the main carriage and the sub-carriage are adjustable upon installation of the carriages in the image forming apparatus.
There is increasing demand for easy adjustment of the landing positions of the droplets in the sub-scanning direction after the recording heads are installed in the image forming apparatus and the landing positions of the droplets in the sub-scanning direction are confirmed. However, the above-described image forming apparatuses do not meet such demand.